Exclusive Interview with RC Caylan: New York Fashion Week SS19

Joyce is a fashion journalist and international lead editor of PL Enterprises and content manager of ACM in Australia. Joyce is always on the lookout for upcoming trends; she loves exclusive interviews to inspire others by sharing her gathered success stories. She supports many causes that are close to her beliefs and was also a guest panelist on CNN. Connect with her at @ joycecortz on Instagram.

RC Caylan Atelièr Exclusive Interview

RC Caylan is a fashion designer to watch out – his exquisite collections are a mixture of classic romance and modern-day fairytale. His vast array of creations ranges from fashionable red carpet gowns, bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses and contemporary suits for men. Everything is handmade, and custom made making his designs remarkable and one-of-a-kind.

Caylan started to love fashion designs at an early age of 9 through the influence of her grandmother who was a uniform seamstress in the Philippines, where he grew up. He graduated Fashion Designs in Grand Rapids Community College in 2015, the same year when he had his first big fashion show at San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Network. His success is unstoppable that he opened his studio in 2016, RC Caylan Atelièr, located at Suite 308 80 Ottawa Avenue, Grand Rapids in Michigan.

This year seems to be Caylan’s lucky year as he is becoming popular in Hollywood and the fashion industry. He won Best Fashion Designer at The Global Beauty Awards in March, he’s been actively dressing celebrities, and is becoming a favorite in fashion magazines including British Vogue. His collections are now under one of the best showrooms to pull from, Regard Style House in Beverly Hills.

Caylan recently showcased his haute couture collection at Art Hearts Fashion, New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019. The lovely collection is inspired by the Renaissance and Elizabethan era blended with modern elegance; from ruffled collars to intricate ruffle bodice and overskirt, from velvet floral appliqué to 3-D floral embroideries, and from sexy asymmetric to an elegant ballgown.

Q: How do you find the balance between your designer’s life, business and personal life?

Honestly speaking, it is tough finding the balance between my passion, the business itself and personal life. Though it is easy for me because I have the most hardworking and talented assistants that I can trust to do the process of constructing the collection, and clients for made to measure dresses. I have to take one step at a time as a designer and as a business owner. I have to find that time to make things work because if I pressure myself, it also affects my work. It helps that my Atelièr is by appointments only as everything I do is custom made. Mostly on weekends, that is when I find the time to enjoy my personal life together with my husband, go out with friends or binge-watching to our favorite TV show series.

In life, balancing is tough when you push so hard in finding its balance. I do believe that it’s like nature, it finds its way, but for sure it comes with guidance from your workplace, people that you talk with, and most importantly getting and feeling that love and support from your loved ones make the tough things go smoothly.

Q: How many days or months do you create your designs to showcase on big fashion shows such as NYFW?

Creating my new Spring/Summer 2019 collection which I have just showcased from the recent New York Fashion Week, took me about six months to complete. It is essential that you take time making a collection, that’s me personally. I always have to make sure that every look has fluidity, balance and most importantly the whole collection should be cohesive. My design process always changes, sometimes, I have to rip and redo a look or design if I felt that it’s not strong enough for the collection.

Q: Every season means there is an upcoming style or trend, where do you find the inspiration to keep your creations fabulous and at the same time unique?

Yes. Every season means a new style and the latest trend comes out. I always make sure that the new trends are part of my collection, and at the same time, not forgetting my aesthetic. I am always inspired by vintage glamour and female physique, but I make sure that I also emphasized modernity yet timeless. Nature, seasons, weather, life story – these are the essential inspirations that I always find in helping me create a new collection. I also believe that “Execution is far better than the design itself,” which is my constant objective and goal in creating a masterpiece in every design that I am working on.